New job search site aims to enhance federal recruitment

An online job search company has unveiled a Web site dedicated to matching job seekers with opportunities in the federal government.

WorkforAmerica.com, launched May 7 by CareerBuilder.com, aims to help expedite the federal government's recruitment process by connecting job candidates interested in public service with key federal agencies.

To develop the site, CareerBuilder worked with the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, which provides content and information to help prospective employees not only learn about the opportunities in government but also work through the federal hiring system, said Max Stier, president of the Partnership.

"We need to see more information out about job opportunities in the federal government," Stier said. "Lots of quality people who are looking for jobs go to the CareerBuilder site … this is information about government service that is sorely needed across the board."

The move comes as the government faces a potential wave of exits over the next decade, as about 60 percent of federal workers overall and 90 percent of senior executives become eligible for retirement.

"The U.S. labor force is shrinking as a large number of baby boomers retire and smaller generations enter the workforce," said Stan Paul, general manager of CareerBuilder.com's government services group. "Realizing the expansive reach of the Internet, more government employers are adopting online recruitment as an integral part of their recruitment strategy."

CareerBuilder.com facilitates an average of more than 1.2 million searches for government jobs each month, according to a release. But the new federal-centric site will allow agencies to brand themselves through job postings and specialized Web pages with details on their mission, benefits, news and career opportunities.

"We felt that there was a void in the market for the agencies to brand themselves," Paul said. "One of the biggest things we hear from job seekers is that they don't hear about opportunities in the government."

While job searches are conducted directly through CareerBuilder.com, which charges agencies to post ads, WorkforAmerica is designed to provide additional exposure and in-depth information about federal opportunities, at no additional cost to the agencies that advertise, Paul said.

The Office of Personnel Management maintains a federal job search site, USAJobs.gov, which has proved to be one of the government's most successful tools for recruiting and retaining top talent. The agency also has run a televised and online ad campaign, which has resulted in a spike of tens of thousands of additional visits to USAJobs from residents living in the media markets where the ads have aired, OPM Director Linda Springer said in March.

OPM declined to comment on the new site.

So far, agencies like the CIA and the Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Energy and Navy departments have used WorkforAmerica. It is "something they have found value in," said Jennifer Sullivan, a spokeswoman for CareerBuilder.

Paul said the company will begin marketing the site through print and local radio in Washington. He said the site is not designed to compete with USAJobs, but rather to enhance the government's ability to promote and hire talented people.